The Invitation
by aushapasha
Summary: GoPro? Check. Voice recorder? Check. Investigating a haunted Mansion? Death defying. Bella gets an invitation to investigate the Platt Mansion and comes face to face with more than just a ghost. Third Place Judges Vote and Haunted Award: Scariest Story for Twilight Tricks and Treats contest.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Thank you to everyone who voted and participated in the Twilight Tricks and Treats contest. If you haven't read the other entries yet, go do it! They are all fantastic! Special thanks to LyricalKris and bandeforever16. There will be a second chapter, to wrap everything up the way they should. Thank you all again!

When the doorbell rang on Halloween morning, Bella assumed there must be a few ambitious kids looking to score candy early. When she opened the front door with a smile and kind reprimands on her tongue, she was surprised when there was no one waiting for her. She glanced around thinking maybe someone was trying to prank her until she noticed the tiny pumpkin sitting on her porch railing with a note tied to the stem. Bella picked it up, headed back inside and peered at the note.

 _Platt Estate_

 _Route 10_

 _11 PM_

Bella turned the card over to find nothing written on the back and read over it again. She knew exactly what was happening. A local paranormal group would send invitations to people to join their investigations anonymously. Bella had been trying to get an invitation for years, and here she was, finally holding one. She immediately headed to her bedroom and pulled a box from under her bed.

It was no secret that Bella had a taste for the paranormal. It made her a bit of an outcast in her small town, but she loved the idea of ghosts and spirits; having unfinished business and helping a spectre move on. She had slowly collected equipment over the last few years and had done a few "solo investigations", but to be invited to join an established group, Bella was beyond excited.

With her three GoPro cameras charging and all her other equipment laid out ready to pack away in her backpack, Bella sat at her desk reading up on The Platt Mansion. A Queen Anne style mansion built in 1885 and sitting on four and half acres, the mansion itself was an architectural oddity. It was often referred to as the Winchester Mansion of the Pacific Northwest. It had doors that opened to nothing, stairs that led to nowhere, and perhaps the weirdest thing was the stained glass windows that depicted the owner's visit to hell.

The story is that Esme Platt, a widow, thought of herself as a spiritualist and would hold seances for her friends. She claimed to be able to communicate with the spirits and they often gave her advice about how to alter her home, whether her friends were safe to travel, or to send messages from the living into the beyond. Esme commissioned a glass artist to create several panes of stained glass that depicted a journey to hell that she claimed to have gone on.

Bella had never seen the glass in person, but the photos were unsettling. They showed a woman crawling through piles of bones, swimming through rivers of blood, and performing sexual acts with the devil himself. Bella sat back and shuddered slightly, she knew the legend. Esme Platt was pregnant when she commissioned the glass … and she never named a father.

"I'm spooking myself." Bella muttered as she rose and started pacing. She could admit right now that she was scared and that made her anxious for the evening ahead. "I can do this. I want to do this."

Later that night, after a nap and leaving a huge bowl of candy on her front porch, Bella headed out with her backpack filled with her equipment, dozens of spare batteries, flashlights, and her cell phone. The drive to the mansion took about forty five minutes and she listened to funky upbeat pop music to clear her head. She pulled up to the wrought iron gates and was pleasantly surprised to find them open, like an invitation to come in from the house itself.

She drove through and was immediately disheartened to find no other cars present. She glanced at the clock on her dash and saw that she was ten minutes early; taking a deep breath she parked, grabbed a flashlight from her bag and got out of her car. Sweeping the beam of light around her she starts to hear a noise coming from somewhere on the property. She considered that her imagination was already playing with her, that any sound she heard would be mistaken for something else, but as she continued to listen it sounded more and more like someone calling for help.

Unsure of when anyone else was going to show up, Bella made the decision to grab her bag, set up and turn on her cameras, and venture inside. She wore a headband with one camera, one attached to her right shoulder strap and facing forward, and one on the left facing behind her, she grabbed a digital voice recorder and started up the front porch steps.

"My name is Bella Swan. The date is October thirty first-Halloween night. It's approximately ten pm. I'm currently entering the Platt Mansion. I received an invitation from what I believe is a local paranormal investigation group to join them for an investigation. When I arrived, there was no one here that I could see." She sighed deeply hovering before the threshold. "If something should happen to me and someone find this recording, tell my father, Charlie Swan that I love him and that I'm obviously more scared than I should be, because I'm leaving my final words. Jesus, Bella." She shook her head and tried the front door and found it unlocked and it opened with a loud screech

The wood was probably warped and through the light from her flashlight, Bella could see plenty of leaves, and twigs, and debris scattered across the floor. She could hear a whistling sound and felt a soft breeze. Glancing up she saw that there appeared to be a hole that looked like it went straight through from the attic all the way down. She tore her eyes away when she heard footsteps from behind her. She felt frozen and stiff and couldn't make herself turn around.

"Bella? Bella Swan?" A voice asked from behind her and Bella let out a small breath. She turned around slowly and saw a rather large man standing a few feet from her.

"Yes, I'm Bella. Who are you?" She asked, shining her light towards him and trying desperately to sound casual and calm her heart.

The man was well over six foot tall with very dark hair and dark eyes. He was broad, but his skin looked pale and his cheeks were sunken.

"I'm Felix." He offered with a small grin, "I'm happy to see you received my invitation." He stepped forward and Bella instinctively took a step back.

Something about him was … off. Bella tried to shake the feeling away when she suddenly saw him lunge towards her and hit her square across the face and then everything went black.

Her head was swimming and she felt cold. When Bella opened her eyes she found herself lying on a stone floor and with her hands bound in front of her. The tears bubbled up and she wanted to scream, but all the self defense training she had received over the years told her to take a deep breath and take in her surroundings.

The room was empty and dirty, with a lone light bulb hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. She was sitting against a wall and facing what appeared to be the only door in the room. She was alone and she was terrified.

"Are you alright?" A voice asked quietly and Bella jumped. She was alone in the room and even with the measly light, she could see that there weren't any windows or what could be speakers in the room.

"You can't see me, can you?" The voice asked, and Bella noticed that it was feminine and light, almost like a summer breeze.

"He must have hit me really hard." Bella muttered as she shook her head trying to clear the cobwebs.

"He did hit you hard, but I promise you're not imagining things." The voice laughed lightly, "My name is Alice. That guy, Felix? He brought me here four years ago."

"If I can hear you, but I can't see you...are you trying to tell me that you're a ghost or something?" Bella asked with a jittery voice. She believed, she really did; but was she really face to face, well voice to voice with a ghost right now?

"Yes, oh my gosh. I'm so happy you get it." The voice let another light laugh and sigh. "There's been others who didn't believe and didn't listen to me. I just want to help you. I think, I hope that I can get you out of here alive."

Bella sat there breathing heavily and trying to process her thoughts. Someone was trying to hurt her … probably kill her. Ghosts were real and there was one in the room with her; and it wanted to help her survive. She disregarded all her other thoughts and focused on just one; she did not want to die.

"My name's Bella. Please help me." Bella crossed her fingers as best she could and hoped that she wasn't somehow being tricked.

"I'm Alice, or I was Alice. Whatever … look, I'll do my very best and I know it'll be hard, but you'll need to trust me." Bella nodded and then wondered if Alice could see her.

"What do I do?" She could hear footsteps distantly and began to shake.

"Can you stand?" Alice asked with a hint of panic in her voice. Bella clumsily got to her feet and wobbled slightly. "I bet you're dizzy, but listen. There's a small crack in the wall about three feet to your left. Push on it and you'll find a secret passage. You need to get in there quick; he's on his way." Alice sounded like she was going to lose it if Bella didn't move.

She stumbled to her left, feeling along the wall until she found the crack and Alice told her to push into the wall. When she did the small door sprang back at her and she slipped in quickly and pulled the door shut behind her.

"Shhhh. Be quiet and move forward." Alice was whispering as Bella began moving. "We need to find something to release your hands." Bella kept moving and realized that she had no idea what the plan was. It was pitch black in the tunnel and she couldn't tell how far she'd walked when she stopped.

"What am I supposed to do?" She all but cried on a wavering whisper. All the fear, anger and despair was finally creeping up. Her adrenaline was waning and she slumped against the side of the tunnel. Bella felt the tears well up and spill over silently.

"Bella, listen to me." Alice instructed. "We're going to get your hands free and then we're going to try and find your stuff or at least your keys and get you out of here." Bella felt a breeze wrap around her and felt comfort in it. "I know you're scared, but I don't want you to end up like me. Please, let me help you." Bella nodded and began walking again. She felt the ground start to incline and she soon found herself in front of a wall. Alice had left her to check on Felix and to see where he was.

While she was catching breath, she heard a murderous roar ring through the house. It was so loud it almost felt like the walls around her trembled. The fear set in deeper and the anxiety she had felt earlier in the day had come back tenfold.

"Bella … he knows you got out of the basement. He's going floor by floor to find you. I'm going to try and make some noise on the third floor to lure him up there. You're right by the kitchen; you should be able to find something to cut the duct tape on your wrists."

"Alice!" Bella breathed loudly. "Thank you."

"Just wait and you'll know when to move." Alice said and then her presence was gone. She had no idea what she meant at first, but soon after Bella heard footsteps moving away from her and she count to fifty before she found the latch on the door and opened it carefully and as noiselessly as possible.

The kitchen was illuminated by moonlight, but Bella still struggled to see around her. She opened drawers and cabinets as silently as she could, but could not find anything sharp to free her hands. Bella could hear the footsteps moving around upstairs and she figured that while she didn't have much time, there was the attic and six rooms on the third floor.

Alice hadn't come back to her, but she knew that had to trust her and take her advice to get out alive. She glanced towards one of the cabinets where she had found one lone dinner plate. She grabbed the plate and made her way back into the tunnel and in the dark managed to break the plate into pieces. Bella grabbed what felt like the largest piece with a sharp point and moved back into the kitchen. She needed the moonlight to see what she was doing. If she managed to cut herself, she'd be useless.

She was trying to hack into the duct tape, but was missing the mark by miles. She glanced around the room frantically looking for anything to help her. Then decided quickly to wedge the broken piece into the top of a drawer and try to make it work that way. As she started to saw and found that it was working, albeit slightly, Bella realized that she no longer heard footsteps above her.

"Hurry!" She heard Alice's voice ring in her ears and began to saw at her wrists and the broken plate furiously. She could hear footsteps descending the stairs. She got a small rip in the tape when the footsteps stopped.

"You can't hide in here." Felix's voice was menacing and she felt a ripple of fear shoot down her spine. Bella heard the unmistakeable sound of a gun being cocked. She abandoned the plate and crept back to the tunnel when she felt pushed towards a different doorway. She found herself in what must have been a dining room. There were remnants of chairs and a table in the room and Bella saw an open window. She began tearing at the duct tape with her teeth; she'd need both hands to hoist herself out of the window.

As soon as the tape was loose enough to get one hand free and regain the ability to use them both, Alice spoke again.

"If we can lure him outside you can lose him. He's big, but he's not fast." Bella hoisted herself out the window and dropped to the porch. The wood planks beneath her feet gave a loud creak and she froze. "Run, Bella!"

She took off at a dead run and found herself in the rear of the house. She could barely make out the man made pond at the back of the property; the moonlight reflecting on the surface. Bella ran to it and as she got closer she saw a small shed. She could hide there, although Felix would probably look there first. She reached the shed and flung herself inside.

Shelves lined the walls with rusted tools, buckets, and what looked to be a few broken decorative gnomes. Gasping for breath and vowing to take up running if she got out alive, Bella's eyes landed on her backpack.

"This is where he destroys everything. The pond is deeper than it looks … there's five cars in it." Alice's voice was quiet and she took a deep breath, "He digs graves around it. I'm buried out there." Bella's heart broke for her.

"I'm sorry, Alice." Bella breathed and reached for her bag. Her phone, she just needed her phone and she could get out of there. She'd call 911 and she'd find her car keys and get the hell out of there.

Bella found her phone but the battery was almost dead. She tried to initiate the emergency call feature, but the battery died in her hands. She dug around in her bag again, looking for the backup battery and cursing herself for not getting a newer phone; this one needed at least 20 percent battery to turn back on. The backup battery was light though, she could tuck it, along with her phone into her pocket.

"He has the keys in his pocket, Bella." Alice sounded tearful, as if this was the last straw, the final sign that Bella wouldn't survive. "He's here," she whispered and Bella looked around to arm herself. Even if he had a gun, Bella could try. She would do anything possible to make it.

She spotted a crowbar propped up in the corner and gripped it tightly in her hands. She slid behind the door to the shed and waited, holding her breath. The door swung open slowly and Bella gulped in air and sprang out from behind the door and swung the crowbar straight at Felix's head. He crumpled to the ground silently and when he didn't move, she dropped down to find her keys or his; at this point it didn't matter. His coat pocket was easily reached and she found a bundle of keys. As soon as her fingers gripped them, his hand shot up and grasped her around the neck. He was crushing her and Bella couldn't catch her breath. She knew that the more she struggled, the sooner she'd run out of breath, so she focused all her energy into sending a single, swift kick straight to his balls.

Felix doubled over and Bella didn't even attempt to catch her breath, she only ran right out of the shed. She was disoriented and ended up running straight into the pond; not thinking of her phone in her pocket or the fact that Felix could simply drown her. He feet were getting caught in weeds and she struggled, trying to stay above the surface of the water when she heard splashing.

"You'll die now, you bitch." Felix was screaming and thrashing in the water. Bella froze with fear. She could see him as he moved towards her, but nothing could make her move.

"Alice, help me. Please!" Bella cried out and suddenly the entire area was illuminated in an almost blinding white light. She could feel the water churning around her and Bella saw hands begin to break through the surface of the water, followed by arms and heads until what looked liked five bodies in varying stages of decay begin to move towards Felix.

The bodies were clawing at him and began dragging him under while his screams echoed in the night. Bella watched, terrified, as he was dragged under and when the bubbles disappeared and the water was still Bella pulled herself out of the pond and onto the shore, sobbing and shaking.

"Bella." Alice's voice rang out again and Bella opened her eyes. Before her stood a diminutive girl with alabaster skin and short black hair. She crouched down in front of Bella and smiled. "We did it. You have the keys, go get help. They'll probably think you're crazy, but you're innocent, Bella; a victim like us. If you can, tell my family." She swept her hand out and gestured to the pond.

"Thank you Alice." Bella said as the light began to fade and Alice disappeared.

Bella was wrapped in a blanket and gripping a cup of hot tea in the police station. She had driven straight there and asked to give her statement. She had cried the entire way back into town and found herself quite stable when she began to talk about her evening. Alice had given her strength and she wasn't going to waste it.

The officer she had talked to was skeptical, of course, but took every detail down and then called Charlie Swan to take Bella to the hospital and then hopefully home. As she was waiting for her Dad to show up, she looked up to a bulletin board. There were at least half a dozen missing persons posters hanging up. She stood up and moved closer; one poster was sticking out. A girl with pale skin and black hair smiled up at her from the paper. Bella reached out and touched the poster with her fingertips.

"Ma'am? Are you alright?" A voice asked from behind her. Bella dropped her arm and turned around. Her eyes met vivid, verdant ones. A kind, but curious smile was on the young man's face and she saw his name tag said E. Cullen.

"Officer Cullen?" he nodded and she gulped. "I know where this woman is. She's dead, unfortunately. She's buried out at the Platt Mansion." Bella shuddered and began to cry softly. "It sounds crazy, I know … but, she helped me tonight." Bella heard her father's voice call out to her.

"I understand you had a terrifying evening and gave your statement." Officer Cullen stared at her with a remorseful expression on his face. "It sounds like your father is here." He gestured for Bella to walk with him.

He spoke quietly, "Alice went missing four years ago. We always suspected she ended up out there, but we never found any evidence." Bella looked at him questionly. "She loved life and made friends everywhere she went. I'm not surprised that you say she helped you."

They walked to the lobby and Bella's father ran forward and gathered her up in a hug and immediately began looking her over. "Let's get you to the ER." Charlie said as he led Bella to the door when she stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"How do you know all that about Alice?" Bella asked Officer Cullen. He stared at her for a full minute before he swallowed.

"She was my sister." He said with watery eyes.

Bella nodded at him and let her father lead her from the station.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Big thanks to LyricalKris and bandeforever16...you two rock and I couldn't do any of this without you.**

The truth about Felix Marcus and Bella's attempted murder came out almost as soon as the FBI showed up and took over the investigation. He had a history of torturing and killing small animals and had been kicked out of his home at the age of 16 for trying to bury his younger sister alive in the backyard. He'd drifted across the country, and his rap sheet told the story of a young man who had been arrested multiple times for harassment and had been admitted against his will to psychiatric units for observation. Phone calls and transcripts from former doctors painted a picture of Borderline Personality Disorder.

The Feds had set up camp in the police station where Bella had first given her statement. She spent hours there, with her father, repeating the events of the evening over and over again. Her story never faltered, but her belief in herself did. Bella began to feel as if she imagined the entire thing. Somehow, Alice wasn't real; wasn't a ghost. She never appeared and helped Bella escape. By her own sheer will and determination, she managed to overpower Felix and he drowned. But Bella could still see those bodies dragging him under. She could still hear Alice's light voice and, when she closed her eyes for more than a moment, which wasn't often these days, she could still see the young woman encased in white light which shone off of her alabaster skin.

When a Mulder - Scully type duo never showed up, Bella was disappointed. She didn't believe that the agents necessarily bought her story, but they couldn't deny that she had passed the psych evaluation with flying colors. That day she ran into Officer Cullen in the break room of the station, and they laughed about it.

"Did you really think that they have something like an 'X-Files' department?" Officer Cullen, no he insisted that she called him Edward, asked with a grin.

"You and I both know that they do!" Bella exclaimed and realized with a small start that she was laughing.

They enjoyed a cup of coffee together before Edward stood up to return to work.

"I heard that they're bringing the, uh, remains back today." She avoided his gaze, nervous of what his reaction would be.

"Look, Bella…my family and I are happy you survived, and we believe you." He sat back down and took her hand lightly in his. "They only recovered four bodies, we aren't sure Alice is in there."

The tears formed in Bella's eyes before she could even process what he was saying. Someone was still missing, and it might be his sister.

"Edward, I—" But the words caught in her throat. What could she say?

"It's okay," Edward gave her hand a light squeeze and returned to work.

Eventually, all the remains were recovered and next of kin were notified.

Six weeks after Bella stumbled into the police station, trembling and terrified, the last of the remains were to be collected. Maria Moreno was a 28-year-old elementary teacher from Seattle, who was passing through when she caught Felix's attention. The only thing that Bella had in common with Maria was their petite stature and similar hair color. It was apparent that Felix had a type, but didn't strictly adhere to it.

The cousin who was coming to collect Maria's remains had asked to speak with Bella. Even though her father advised against it, she found herself waiting at the police station to meet them.

She had seen Edward, and he smiled and told her that she was doing the right thing. After all, his family and the others had just been grateful for the closure and for the fact Felix wouldn't hurt anyone else again.

Bella had empathy for these families. How could she not? While, granted, none of her family members had ever been murdered, her own mother was forcibly taken from her in a violent car crash. She knew that acute feeling of grief and pain. The realization that she could never hug her mother again or hear her voice was one of the biggest sorrows of her life. These families could have held on; not knowing meant these women—sisters, daughters, cousins—could still be alive somewhere.

She heard the woman before she saw her. She was sobbing and being supported by an officer that Bella recognized only by face. The woman was also petite and had dark curly hair. She was obviously trying to compose herself. Bella wondered if she had been convinced it wasn't her cousin, and some mistake had been made.

When she seemed like she was calming down, Bella stood and took several steps toward the woman. The officer she was with made the introductions, and Bella sighed.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Ms. Moreno." Bella said and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. The woman's head reeled upward, and she blocked Bella touch.

"You're sorry?" She laughed slightly manically, "Sorry for what? Surviving? Why isn't it you in there? Why does it have to be her?" She was crying again, and Bella shrank away.

This was what Charlie was worried about. They'd had calm interactions with the other families. Edward's mother had hugged her and told her how happy she was that Bella was alive!

"Don't you walk away from me!" Lucy Moreno was now screaming, and the officer that had once been supporting her was trying to drag her away from Bella. "Why wasn't it you?!"

Bella was pulled away. Through the tears, she saw Edward wrapping an arm around her and leading her out the back. She gulped in the fresh air and bent over, resting her hands on her knees.

"Why wasn't it me?" She whispered and plopped down on the gravel. She wrapped her arms around her knees, rocking back and forth. This was a position she had found herself in more often than not lately. She heard crunching and felt a warm arm wrap around her, but there were no immediate words of comfort. Instead Bella cried into Edward's shoulder until her tears had dried up.

"You know, I can explain survivor's guilt to you, but I'm pretty sure you already know what it is." He sighed and rubbed a hand up and down Bella's back. "So, I'll say this instead: you are strong and you can get through this, too." He scooted to sit in front of her, and tipped her chin up so their eyes met.

"Remember, not everyone was like this. Who was it? Jessica Stanley's mother who was grateful to know the truth, even at the expense of your experience? What about Angela Weber's parents, the minister and his wife? He prayed for you to find peace, and thanked God for the answers his wife and he had been searching for."

Bella snuffled and nodded Those people had been grateful for the truth and, to Bella's surprise, happy she had made it out alive. She stared at Edward and smiled weakly.

"Your mom invited me to dinner," she said with a watery laugh, and Edward chuckled.

"She did, and she meant it." He stood and helped Bella to her feet.

She swayed and gripped his arms for support. When she looked up, she didn't see Alice's brother, or the kind and friendly officer. Instead, she saw vivid green eyes, a chiseled jaw, and plump lips. In that moment, she wasn't a victim, and he wasn't a cop. They were just two people leaning on each other for support.

Bella rose up on her toes and pressed her lips to Edward's before she could really think about what she was doing. His lips were warm, but his arms were limp, and when Bella registered that fact, she began to pull away. Suddenly, Edward's arms wrapped around her, and he deepened the kiss. Bella's hands instinctively went to his hair. They remained joined together for several moments before the sound of a phone ringing made them jump apart.

Bella could feel the blush creep up into her cheeks as they both patted their pockets. Edward held up one finger as he answered his phone and stepped away to speak to the caller. She couldn't even imagine what to say after that…that incredible kiss. What a horrible time to be attracted to someone, and for that someone to be Edward of all people. Was it really attraction? Or was it just convenient? She ran out of time as he walked back towards her with his hands stuffed into his pockets.

"I, uh...I need to get back to work," he said barely looking at her. The obvious rejection was nothing compared to the simultaneous feeling of relief she felt at not having time to discuss what had happened. She nodded, and Edward walked towards the door.

"Bella," he said, and she turned to look at him. "I like you. I think you're interesting and smart and funny. I think you're probably the single cutest thing I've ever laid eyes on…but maybe in a different time and place… "he trailed off. and Bella smiled.

"Yeah, it's easy to confuse comfort in any form right now. I'm sorry," she said and walked to the back door. "That's not to say that I don't, kind of. like you too. But, you're right; different time, different place."

They entered the building together, and then went their separate ways.

"Dad, I've already bought my ticket. I'm coming." Bella sighed as she listened to her father implore her to stay away.

The great state of Washington had finally decided to demolish the Platt Mansion after a three-year-long battle. With no one to claim the property, and not a single person to bid on it during an auction, the land went into possession of the state.

Bella had moved to California six months after her kiss with Edward behind the police station. When the final hearing came about the state's decision, she was asked to come and make a statement. She'd only been back home twice since she'd left; the second being for the memorial service that the Cullen's held for Alice, whose remains were sadly never recovered.

Now she'd return yet again to see the house torn down.

The day of her flight was hard for Bella. She'd worked a full day and was trying to finish packing before she needed to leave. The Uber she called smelled like cigarettes, and the driver apparently didn't acknowledge the 65mph speed limit, so Bella felt like she was going to be late for her flight.

After going through security and finding her gate, Bella sat down and waited. She'd called her dad while she waited for the Uber, and now she was fiddling with her phone, her thumb hovering over Edward's name.

They'd remained friends after she left; Facebook and Instagram, texts a few times a week, and the occasional phone call. He'd been the one to call and invite her to Alice's memorial, telling her how much it would mean to his family and to him.

Checking her watch, she calculated enough time to call and let him know she was coming. She tapped his name and waited for him to pick up.

"Hi Edward, it's Bella. I…I just wanted to let you know that I'm about to get on a plane to Washington. I want to see the house come down. I just thought I should let you know. Bye." She hadn't expected his voicemail and leaving the message felt stupid.

The flight was bumpy but thankfully short. Bella was the last off the plane with her carry-on in hand when she saw Charlie waiting for her by baggage claim. He smiled and hugged her tightly when she reached him.

"It's good to see you, kid," Charlie said as he took her bag and led her to the car.

They made idle chitchat on the way to Charlie's house, and Bella realized just how much she missed her dad. He'd come to visit her several times a year, but they were practically neighbors when she still lived in Washington.

"Bells, I'm worried that the same thing is going to happen this time around," Charlie said as they neared his home.

Charlie pulled into the driveway and cut the engine as Bella's phone chimed with an incoming text message. She let her father lead them into the house with her bag as she checked her phone.

I'm glad you're here. Can we meet before tomorrow?

"It's Edward Cullen," Bella told her father as she grabbed her bag and headed upstairs to what used to be her old bedroom and was now a guest room. She dropped her luggage and descended the stairs to find Charlie holding his car keys out to her.

"Not too late. You're going to need some rest." He said as she kissed his cheek and went back out to the car.

This had happened the last two times Bella had come home. Edward had asked to meet with her and they usually got a coffee at the diner and talked for hours. She responded to the message telling him to meet her, and then took off toward the diner.

When she walked into the diner ten minutes later, she was a little surprised to see Edward already inside and waiting for her; and he wasn't alone.

Winnie Cullen was a tall, slender woman with fiery red hair and pale skin dotted with freckles. She had a radiant smile and hearty laugh that echoed wherever she was. She had always made Bella feel completely at ease and had taken to calling several times during the week. If Bella ever thought that would get old or annoying, she was wrong. She missed having a mother figure to speak to, and it was obvious that Winnie missed having a young woman to discuss things with.

The two Cullen's looked up at the same time and beamed at Bella. As she walked towards their table, Winnie stood up greeted her warmly with a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"How are you, dear?" she asked, and Bella felt that same pang in her heart that she always did whenever Winnie called her that. The pain that her own mother could never call her that again and for this mother standing before, who would never speak to her own daughter again.

"I'm good," Bella answered as Edward replaced his mother. He wrapped her in a tentative embrace, and she leaned into his warmth. They held onto to each for just a moment longer than the hug with his mother.

When they separated, Edward smiled again and pulled out the chair next to him so she could sit down. A waitress came by, and Bella placed her order, then looked to Edward and Winnie.

She hadn't come the other two times Bella and Edward had met after Bella moved away, preferring to call or spend one-on-one time with Bella when she came home.

"Edward said that you two got together the last two times you had come back to town, and I wanted to come by and speak with you," Winnie said as Bella took a sip of her coffee. "I want you to know there are going to be reporters there tomorrow. I don't want you to be blindsided…like before."

Bella was quiet as she took this in. She figured there would be a news crew at the demolition site, because this was obviously something to cover. But the foresight of knowing they would actually be there gave Bella a sense of relief she hadn't had when they showed up at Alice's service, or when she returned to deliver her statement to the court.

"I thought they would probably be there," Bella said setting her cup down. "I don't want to be the center of attention any more than you do, but I think it's unavoidable at this point." Winnie smiled and patted her hand.

She stayed for a little while longer and chatted with Bella and Edward before excusing herself, claiming she wasn't as young as she once was.

Bella and Edward were alone, and the silence overtook them. He reached out for her hand, and they intertwined their fingers together.

"How long are you staying?" he asked softly, and Bella sighed.

"Not long enough. I miss Charlie." She gripped his hand slightly. "I leave the day after tomorrow. I want to see Alice before I go."

Edward turned to face Bella. "That would be nice."

"So, when are you leaving this place?" Bella asked as she reluctantly let go of his hand and took another drink from her cup.

It was a common conversation between the two of them. A different time and a different place; that's what they had both agreed on. For Bella, that meant away from Washington, but Edward wasn't sure he could leave his parents after all they had been through. So, on her last two visits, it was just stolen kisses and murmurs in the dark about how to find a way to be together.

The attraction they both felt was still as strong as that day three years ago, but Bella wasn't going to wait around forever. There were times she was positive Edward was the only man out there for her, but his reluctance to make a plan was discouraging her all the time.

Edward never answered her, and they eventually went on to small talk, which was safe and unobtrusive. When the waitress told them the diner was closing, they paid, and made their way to the parking lot.

They finally parted, and Bella made a promise to herself that she wouldn't wait for Edward anymore. If he really wanted to be with her, like he so often said he did, he'd figure it out.

The rain woke Bella before her alarm. The dark sky mirrored her own thoughts and emotions. She showered, dressed, and met her father in the kitchen before they left for the Platt Mansion. There was no pomp and circumstance, no words of remorse for demolition, nor was there any mention of the atrocities that had occurred there.

At nine AM precisely, a crane slammed a wrecking ball into the south side of the house, and began to knock it to the ground.

Bella declined all comments to the news crew and remained as stoic as possible as she watched the mansion crumble. Charlie kept his arm around Bella while Winnie held her other hand. Edward was between his mother and father.

When all was said and done, a fence had been erected around the debris, and the cleanup crews were already getting to work, Bella dropped her father off back home and went to the cemetery to see Alice.

She sat at the gravesite and ran her fingers through the grass, not caring that her pants were now soaked through from the earlier rainfall.

Alice's grave marker listened intently as Bella filled in the details of her life since she'd last visited. She spoke about the new condo she'd just bought, and the colors she was thinking about painting it. Bella mentioned Edward, as she always did, telling Alice she thought it was weird, but kind that she had obviously put her and Edward in each other's paths.

"The more we talk the more I know that he's it, but…maybe he just doesn't feel the same about me." Bella laughed and wiped away a tear that had fallen. "I miss you, and we never really knew each other." When she had laughed and cried all she could, she left the site and headed home.

A month after Bella had watched the old, once beautiful mansion destroyed, she felt a sense of relief. The weight of her attempted murder had eased. It would never leave her completely, but when she closed her eyes, she couldn't see anything but peaceful darkness.

She hadn't spoken to Edward since she returned home, although she wasn't really surprised. The goodbye they shared in parking lot of the diner seemed enduring, as though Edward knew that Bella was letting go. So, she went about her life, working and living. Bella still took chances, but was always cautious, not wanting to ever put herself in a life-threatening situation ever again.

After a long week at work, she readily agreed to go out with a few of her coworkers for drinks and to blow off some steam. Maybe she would dance, maybe she would flirt; really anything could happen, and Bella was looking forward to it.

She went home to freshen up her makeup, called for an Uber, and then found herself a local bar that boasted strong drinks and karaoke. Bella was enjoying the happy hour and some of her coworkers, who were braving karaoke, when she had a sudden feeling like she was being watched.

A cursory glance around informed her that there wasn't a single familiar face in the crowd, and not one person seemed to be looking at her or making themselves appear to not be looking. She chalked it up to being out and in a slightly crowded place. After another hour where the hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she couldn't shake the feeling, she left.

The Uber driver sped and didn't speak to her, but that didn't matter. She was analyzing her thoughts from the evening. She hadn't felt threatened, but she was curious as to why she'd felt like she was being watched. When she reached her condo and thanked the driver, she scanned the street before heading to the door.

That night, for the first time in a month, she dreamed of Alice.

They were walking together, arm in arm, but neither were speaking. Bella could sense the friendship and warmth between the two women, but Alice stopped suddenly and turned to her.

"You aren't a quitter, Bella Swan."

Alice disappeared, and all she could see was Edward.

He was standing in an airport, waiting by a baggage claim, his phone in his hand hovering over Bella's name. There was a flash, and Bella saw a car with California plates that Edward got into. The car drove off into the night, and Bella woke with a start, her heart beating fast and a sense of anticipation lingering in the air.

She expected her phone to ring, and when it didn't after many minutes, she admitted to herself in the darkness of her bedroom that she was disappointed.

"You aren't a quitter, Bella Swan."

The phrase played over in her mind, and she knew what she needed to do. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and found the contact she needed.

"You've reached the voicemail of Edward Cullen. Please leave a message, and I will get back to you as soon as possible."

BEEP

"Edward, I—", Bella sighed. "We haven't spoken since I came home, but I was just reminded of something. I'm not a quitter." She pulled her hair out of her face, stood, and cleared her throat.

"I don't know how to explain it right now, but if you're on a plane heading to California or you will be soon, call me. I want to see you and talk to you and…possibly not let you leave." She was laughing as she said goodbye.

Bella eventually passed out a few hours later and woke groggily, draped diagonally across her bed. When the previous evening caught up to her, she reached for her phone, but found no missed calls or texts.

She tossed it down on the bed and went downstairs to make coffee and forage for something to eat. While she was waiting for the toaster to warm up her Pop Tarts, she heard a knock on her front door. Looking at the clock and realizing it was probably too late in the morning to be too annoyed by whomever was on the other side, she opened it to find Edward looking bright eyed and bushy tailed.

"I got your message," Edward said as he held up a large coffee and smiled sheepishly.

Bella ushered him inside and after she got him settled she ran upstairs and grabbed a sweatshirt to wear over her pajamas. When she returned, she found Edward looking at the picture of Alice that was on one of Bella's shelves.

"She's always here, watching over me," Bella said, and the memory of the dream came flooding back. "She came to me in a dream last night."

"I got on a plane last night because of Alice," Edward told her as he turned to look at her full on. "I took some time off work and I…well, I put in for a transfer." He took a step closer to Bella.

"A transfer? Where to?" Bella asked as she took two steps towards him.

Edward reached out for her, cupped her cheeks, and tilted her face up to meet his.

"A different place and a different time." He looked pleadingly into her eyes, and Bella stood on her toes to press her lips to his.

The sun filtered in through the blinds, casting rays over the embracing couple. A hummingbird drank from the flowers just outside Bella's kitchen window. A beautiful young woman with short black hair and pale white skin walked down the street, and smiled brilliantly before she vanished.

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! If there is enough interest, I will post a sinister version of this concluding chapter next week. Otherwise, that's it for this one! Thanks again.**


	3. Chapter 3-Alternate Ending

A/N: I finally decided to post this alternate ending that I submitted for the Babies at the Border Compilation last year in an effort to promote the same compilation for this year. Please go visit the Babies at the Border facebook group to find out how to donate! Thank you to Athena for beta-ing this a whole year ago!

WARNING: This is very dark. If you were really happy with the sweet, cute ending...then, maybe don't read this? Because my cold, black heart wrote this. :)

Bella had moved to California six months after her kiss with Edward behind the police station. When the final hearing came about the state's decision, she was asked to come and make a statement. She'd only been back home twice since she'd left; the second being for the memorial service that the Cullen's held for Alice, whose remains were sadly never recovered.

Now she'd return yet again to see the house torn down.

The day of her flight was hard for Bella. She'd worked a full day and was trying to finish packing before she needed to leave. The Uber she called smelled like cigarettes, and the driver didn't acknowledge the 65 mph speed limit, so Bella felt like she was going to be late for her flight.

After going through security and finding her gate, Bella sat down and waited. She'd called her dad while she waited for the Uber, and now she was fiddling with her phone, her thumb hovering over Edward's name.

They'd remained friends after she left; Facebook and Instagram, texts a few times a week, and the occasional phone call. He'd been the one to call and invite her to Alice's memorial, telling her how much it would mean to his family and him.

Checking her watch, she calculated enough time to call and let him know she was coming. She tapped his name and waited for him to pick up.

"Hi Edward, it's Bella. I…I just wanted to let you know that I'm about to get on a plane to Washington. I want to see the house come down. I just thought I should let you know. Bye." She hadn't expected his voicemail and leaving the message felt stupid.

The flight was bumpy but thankfully short. Bella was the last off the plane with her carry-on in hand when she saw Charlie waiting for her by baggage claim. He smiled and hugged her tightly when she reached him.

"It's good to see you, kid," Charlie said as he took her bag and led her to the car.

They made idle chitchat on the way to Charlie's house, and Bella realized just how much she missed her dad. He'd come to visit her several times a year, but they were practically neighbors when she still lived in Washington.

"Bells, I'm worried that the same thing is going to happen this time around," Charlie said as they neared his home.

Charlie pulled into the driveway and cut the engine as Bella's phone chimed with an incoming text message. She let her father lead them into the house with her bag as she checked her phone.

I'm glad you're here. Can we meet before tomorrow?

"It's Edward Cullen," Bella told her father as she grabbed her bag and headed upstairs to what used to be her old bedroom and was now a guest room. She dropped her luggage and descended the stairs to find Charlie holding his car keys out to her.

"Not too late. You're going to need some rest." He said as she kissed his cheek and went back out to the car.

This had happened the last two times Bella had come home. Edward had asked to meet with her and they usually got a coffee at the diner and talked for hours. She responded to the message telling him to meet her and then took off toward the diner.

When she walked into the diner ten minutes later, she was a little surprised to see Edward already inside and waiting for her; and he wasn't alone.

Winnie Cullen was a tall, slender woman with fiery red hair and pale skin dotted with freckles. She had a radiant smile and hearty laugh that echoed wherever she was. She had always made Bella feel completely at ease and had taken to calling several times during the week. If Bella ever thought that would get old or annoying, she was wrong. She missed having a mother figure to speak to, and it was obvious that Winnie missed having a young woman to discuss things with.

The two Cullen's looked up at the same time and beamed at Bella. As she walked towards their table, Winnie stood up greeted her warmly with a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"How are you, dear?" she asked, and Bella felt that same pang in her heart that she always did whenever Winnie called her that. The pain that her own mother could never call her that again and for this mother standing before, who would never speak to her own daughter again.

"I'm good," Bella answered as Edward replaced his mother. He wrapped her in a tentative embrace, and she leaned into his warmth. They held onto each for just a moment longer than the hug with his mother.

When they separated, Edward smiled again and pulled out the chair next to him so she could sit down. A waitress came by, and Bella placed her order, then looked to Edward and Winnie.

She hadn't come the other two times Bella and Edward had met after Bella moved away, preferring to call or spend one-on-one time with Bella when she came home.

"Edward said that you two got together the last two times you had come back to town, and I wanted to come by and speak with you," Winnie said as Bella took a sip of her coffee. "I want you to know there are going to be reporters there tomorrow. I don't want you to be blindsided…like before."

Bella was quiet as she took this in. She figured there would be a news crew at the demolition site because this was obviously something to cover. But the foresight of knowing they would actually be there gave Bella a sense of relief she hadn't had when they showed up at Alice's service, or when she returned to deliver her statement to the court.

"I thought they would probably be there," Bella said setting her cup down. "I don't want to be the center of attention any more than you do, but I think it's unavoidable at this point." Winnie smiled and patted her hand.

She stayed for a little while longer and chatted with Bella and Edward before excusing herself, claiming she wasn't as young as she once was.

Bella and Edward were alone, and the silence overtook them. He reached out for her hand, and they intertwined their fingers together.

"How long are you staying?" he asked softly, and Bella sighed.

"Not long enough. I miss Charlie." She gripped his hand slightly. "I leave the day after tomorrow. I want to see Alice before I go."

Edward turned to face Bella. "That would be nice."

"So, when are you leaving this place?" Bella asked as she reluctantly let go of his hand and took another drink from her cup.

It was a common conversation between the two of them. A different time and a different place; that's what they had both agreed on. For Bella, that meant away from Washington, but Edward wasn't sure he could leave his parents after all they had been through. So, on her last two visits, it was just stolen kisses and murmurs in the dark about how to find a way to be together.

The attraction they both felt was still as strong as that day three years ago, but Bella wasn't going to wait around forever. There were times she was positive Edward was the only man out there for her, but his reluctance to make a plan was discouraging her all the time.

Edward never answered her, and they eventually went on to small talk, which was safe and unobtrusive. When the waitress told them the diner was closing, they paid and made their way to the parking lot.

They finally parted, and Bella made a promise to herself that she wouldn't wait for Edward anymore. If he really wanted to be with her, like he so often said he did, he'd figure it out.

The rain woke Bella before her alarm. The dark sky mirrored her own thoughts and emotions. She showered, dressed, and met her father in the kitchen before they left for the Platt Mansion. There was no pomp and circumstance, no words of remorse for demolition, nor was there any mention of the atrocities that had occurred there.

At nine AM precisely, a crane slammed a wrecking ball into the south side of the house and began to knock it to the ground.

Bella declined all comments to the news crew and remained as stoic as possible as she watched the mansion crumble. Charlie kept his arm around Bella while Winnie held her other hand. Edward was between his mother and father.

When all was said and done, a fence had been erected around the debris, and the cleanup crews were already getting to work, Bella dropped her father off back home and went to the cemetery to see Alice.

She sat at the gravesite and ran her fingers through the grass, not caring that her pants were now soaked through from the earlier rainfall.

Alice's grave marker listened intently as Bella filled in the details of her life since she'd last visited. She spoke about the new condo she'd just bought, and the colors she was thinking about painting it. Bella mentioned Edward, as she always did, telling Alice she thought it was weird but kind that she had obviously put her and Edward in each other's paths.

"The more we talk the more I know that he's it, but…maybe he just doesn't feel the same about me." Bella laughed and wiped away a tear that had fallen. "I miss you, and we never really knew each other." When she had laughed and cried all she could, she left the site and headed home.

A month after Bella had watched the old, once beautiful mansion destroyed, she felt a sense of relief. The weight of her attempted murder had eased. It would never leave her completely, but when she closed her eyes, she couldn't see anything but peaceful darkness.

She hadn't spoken to Edward since she returned home, although she wasn't really surprised. The goodbye they shared in the parking lot of the diner seemed enduring, as though Edward knew that Bella was letting go. So, she went about her life, working and living. Bella still took chances, but was always cautious, not wanting to ever put herself in a life-threatening situation ever again.

After a long week at work, she readily agreed to go out with a few of her coworkers for drinks and to blow off some steam. Maybe she would dance, maybe she would flirt; really anything could happen, and Bella was looking forward to it.

She went home to freshen up her makeup, called for an Uber, and then found herself a local bar that boasted strong drinks and karaoke. Bella was enjoying the happy hour and some of her coworkers, who were braving karaoke when she had a sudden feeling like she was being watched.

A cursory glance around informed her that there wasn't a single familiar face in the crowd and not one person seemed to be looking at her or making themselves appear to not be looking. She chalked it up to being out and in a slightly crowded place. After another hour where the hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she couldn't shake the feeling, she left.

The Uber driver sped and didn't speak to her, but that didn't matter. She was analyzing her thoughts from the evening. She hadn't felt threatened, but she was curious as to why she'd felt like she was being watched. When she reached her condo and thanked the driver, she scanned the street before heading to the door.

That night, for the first time in a month, she dreamed of Alice.

They were walking together, arm in arm, but neither was speaking. Bella could sense the friendship and warmth between the two women, but Alice stopped suddenly and turned to her.

"You aren't a quitter, Bella Swan."

Alice disappeared, and all she could see was Edward.

He was standing over a huge hole in the ground a shovel jammed into the dirt next to him. His clothes were grungy and his face was streaked with dirt like he had been sweating and crying.

Bella couldn't understand, even in the dream, what she was seeing. The Cullen's had never stopped looking for Alice's body; had they finally found her? Was this why Alice came to her in her dreams?

She woke suddenly and clutched at her blankets for comfort as a chill went down her spine; once again, Bella felt as though she was being watched.

"Alice? If you're here, please talk to me." Bella waited in the darkened silence for the response that never came.

She turned over to her side and picked up her phone from the nightstand and sent Edward a text.

We haven't spoken since I came home, but I was just wondering if you'd gotten any new information on Alice. Let me know.

She waited for a response but didn't really expect one at 2:34 in the morning, so Bella drifted back to sleep.

After several weeks of no response from Edward, Bella called Winnie Cullen. However, that ended up being as fruitless as the text message. Winnie's cell phone was no longer in service. The Cullen's house phone was disconnected. Even Edward's father, Carlisle, couldn't be reached at the hospital where he was the administrator.

"I'm sorry miss, but Dr. Cullen left the hospital about six weeks ago." The receptionist sounded annoyed, and really, who could blame her. If Bella was as close to the family as she claimed, how did she not know this already?

"Did he leave any forwarding information?" Bella asked, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.

When she was denied any information and released from the call, Bella immediately called her father.

"Bells, I really thought that you knew. I thought that Edward or Winnie would have told you. They left town pretty abruptly about six weeks ago." Charlie sighed and Bella could hear the creaking of his old recliner. "I think that maybe, just maybe, they couldn't live here anymore."

It took months for Bella to come to terms with the fact that the Cullens, and more specifically, Edward, had cut her out of their lives. Was she a terrible reminder that their lives were irrevocably changed because Bella had survived, but Alice had not? Because her remains were never found?

Bella made peace with the fact that she might never have the answers. She continued to work and made new friends. She discovered her new city and tried new food. She even explored some notably haunted places in San Diego, albeit on guided tours with 20 or 30 other people.

Spring heated up into a sweltering summer that mercifully and quickly turned to autumn, but brought Bella's anxiety to a desperate peak as the end of October loomed. The anniversary of her attempted murder was on the horizon.

She felt eyes on her at all times. She found herself spying between her window blinds every time she heard a car drive down her street. Bella even took to changing the way she drove home every other day or so no one would follow her and see her develop a routine.

However, it was two weeks before Halloween that everything came to a head.

When Bella approached her desk at work on a seemingly inconspicuous Monday morning she froze in her tracks when her eyes landed on the tiny pumpkin. She could feel her chest constrict and the tears prick her eyes. She wanted to scream but no sound escaped her closing throat.

That's when she felt the hand on her shoulder.

"Bella!" She stifled a scream in her throat when she realized that the hand belonged to her coworker, Bree Tanner.

Bree worked only a few cubes down from Bella and was pretty much the only person she conversed with or spent any modicum of time with outside of work. In short, Bree was a friend.

"Did … did you leave that on my desk?" Bella asked as she gestured into her cube and looking at Bree critically.

"Yeah! It's an invitation to my annual Halloween party. It's really great, Bella-"

"I need you to take that off my desk and I don't want to see it again," Bella told Bree with a quavering voice. "Please Bree, just do it."

Bree could see her friend pleading with her and immediately grabbed the miniature pumpkin and held it behind her back.

"I … I'm sorry Bella. I never meant to upset you." Bree began and turned away.

Bella let out a ragged sigh as she watched Bree duck into her own cubicle and moved to sit down at her desk and lowered her head into her folded arms. After several deep breaths, she took the time to boot up her computer and check her email and get herself ready for her workday. However, after ten minutes of staring at her computer screen and doing nothing she got up and set out to speak to Bree.

She walked the thirty feet down the hallway and rapped her knuckles on the edge of the cubicle. When Bree's head jerked up and her eyes went wide, Bella tried a warm smile.

"Lunch later? At the deli?" She was referring to the deli down the street where they often had lunch when they could get away at the same time. Bree only nodded and when Bella mumbled a 'thanks', Bree managed a small smile.

Five hours later the two women rode the elevator down to the lobby together in silence and neither of them attempted to speak until they reached the sidewalk.

"Bree I'm sorry-"

"Bella, I googled you-"

Both women started to giggle nervously for trying to talk over each other until Bree's words registered in Bella's brain.

"You googled me? Why?" Bella took a deliberate step back and crossed her arms.

"When we met your name was familiar, but I didn't think twice about it, but after this morning and … the thing, everything fell into place. I remembered your story." Bree started walking and Bella followed, curious where her friend's train of thought was going.

" I heard about it on the news and I couldn't imagine the horror you went through." She looked at me as we stopped outside the deli and I opened the door for us.

"I don't like to talk about it." Bella said quietly, "It was a horrible experience and getting back to a 'normal' life after the fact hasn't been easy."

After they ordered and found a seat Bella stared at Bree for a few minutes.

"You have questions. I'll answer what I can, but if I can't answer them, you'll have to deal with that." The resignation was heavy in her voice and she picked at the sesame seeds on her bagel.

"I only have two questions; are you okay?" Bree asked and lightly touched Bella's hand. Her head snapped up and her eyes went wide.

That was never the first question that anyone asked.

"Physically, I'm alright. My shrink says I have some PTSD, which is understandable, but I haven't had a nightmare about it since they demolished the house." Bella looked to Bree. "Thank you. What's the second question?"

"Well, are we okay?" Bree asked and Bella realized that her only friend was sitting across from her and was worried that their friendship was over.

"We're okay." Bella took one last deep breath to clear away the last remnants of fear. "Tell me about your party."

In the following two weeks, Bella helped plan and prepare for Bree's party. Her parents owned a cabin in a resort town about two and a half hours from San Diego in mountains. It was a small town, but it boasted a quaint Halloween parade for all the children to collect candy and the cabin was set apart from town proper so the music and ruckus wouldn't disturb the year-round residents.

The two women took the afternoon of the party off from work to drive up to the cabin and begin to get everything ready for the other guests. The drive was scenic and not too long, but Bella's anxiety was tingling as she began to realize just how remote and isolated this small mountain town really was.

When they reached the cabin Bella was struck by the simplicity and beauty in the design. It was elevated and had a large wrap around porch with plenty of seating and a grill. Upon entering Bella noted it was two stories and the lightly stained wood paneling was offset by the neutral-colored paint. It was by no means a party house but looked more like a peaceful retreat.

"Bree, your parents are really alright with you throwing a party here?" Bella was a bit skeptical as she wandered around the bottom floor.

Bree was in the kitchen putting away perishables and laughed.

"Of course, I've been doing it for years. It's not a rager."

Bella murmured and moved to the stairs.

"Can I go upstairs?"

"Sure! You can have the second room on the right." Bree called out and Bella continued her exploration.

The second level boasted 5 bedrooms with inviting colors and textures and Bella found the room designated for her. She deposited her backpack on the bed and moved directly to the window. She had a lovely partial view of the lake and the road that led to the house. It was a beautiful location and Bella could see how she could actually enjoy the seclusion.

Footsteps were coming down the hall and Bella turned when Bree appeared in the doorway.

"I just called to preorder the pizzas. All the drinks and other food is put away, and we have several hours before anyone is due to show up. Wanna go check out the town?"

Bella nodded and two left the cabin.

They bypassed Bree's car and walked the half-mile into town and walked past the pizza parlor where they would pick up their pizzas later and the tiny general store that Bree explained also doubled as the local post office. An ice cream parlor took up a corner lot across from a small school complex.

As they meandered down the main thoroughfare, Bella continued to look over her shoulder, feeling as if someone was following her … looking at her … watching her. Her unease and anxiety began to build and she told Bree that she wanted to head back to the cabin.

"I understand that we're incredibly isolated here, but this town is really safe. If anyone is staring at you, it's just because you're new." Bree said gently as they made they're way back to the cabin.

Bella knew; someone was watching her. She didn't know who it was or what they wanted, but she knew she was being watched.

"I think you should take a nap. Get some rest before everyone shows up. I can go get the pizzas." Bree gently pushed her toward the stairs and Bella nodded went upstairs to her bedroom.

But she didn't sleep. There was a small armchair that she moved as quietly as she could and placed it by the window. She arranged it so she could see her partial view of the lake and the road and also keep alert to the door to the room.

She checked her phone and saw that she had only two bars and half battery, so she unpacked her charger cord and plugged her phone in and made sure her back up battery was also charged.

Whatever was going happen, she was going to be as aware as possible.

There was a small AM/FM radio on the bedside table, so Bella turned it on for music and to drown out the noise.

As the sun started to set, the shadows from the trees got longer and the musical rotation came back to where it was when Bella first turned on the radio.

"We have a traffic alert on CA-243 on both sides of the highway, causing backups all the way down to the 79 and into Warner Springs. It seems that a three-car pile-up has caused a brush fire and Cal Fire is attempting to contain the fire and put it out. Interstate eight is open in case of evacuations from town."

Bella turned her attention back to the window and stared more intently into the trees and onto the lake.

"Alright, what's next?" she mumbled under her breath.

Twenty-two minutes later another news break came in.

"Another traffic alert has been issued for interstate eight. Another brush fire has sprung up and has already spread to 5 acres. High winds coming in from the south are making it difficult to contain. All fire services north of both fires in the eight and CA-243 have been dispatched to contain and prevent them from spreading any further north."

Bella slowly got to her feet and stretched. She was in leggings, a long sleeve shirt, and sneakers. She checked the weather app on her phone and saw that while it was still in the low seventies, the nighttime temps would drop to at least the mid-fifties. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a hoodie and tied it securely around her waist.

She grabbed her phone and slid it into her pocket and her backup battery and small cord into the other pocket. Then Bella reached for the military-style pocket knife that Charlie had sent to her a few months ago. She opened it and closed it a few times, just to test the catch and then slid it into her back pocket where it was hidden.

She descended the stairs while tying her hair up into a tight bun and called out for Bree.

"Bree? Have you heard what's going on? The fires …" Bella broke off when she registered the silence in the lower portion of the house.

Feeling around, she found a lightswitch and the living room illuminated. She walked towards the kitchen and easily found the switch in there and a note from Bree that said she went to pick up the pizzas.

Being alone in the house and feeling completely on guard, Bella began to search every room and corner. She looked at what she considered every entry point and assessed to the best of her ability the best exit route.

She found a huge knife block in the kitchen and stashed several of the larger knives in hidden spots, just in case they might be needed. There was an office off the kitchen and Bella entered and turned on the light and was shocked and somewhat delighted to see a gun case with several shotguns and a few handguns.

After careful inspection, the terror that came with the thought that anyone could find them was outweighed by the fact that the shells appeared to be locked in a safe with a fingerprint scanner. So, she wouldn't have access to ammo, but she could potentially intimidate someone with the threat of a gun.

She knew how to shoot because Charlie had made sure since there were guns in the house while she was growing up, that she knew how to safely handle them. She turned off the light and closed the door to the room and hoped that she wouldn't need to get back into that room, but she would remember all of her father's training if she did.

In the time it took for Bella to explore the house and formulate at least some kind of plan, Bree still hadn't returned from town.

Bella moved to the large windows that overlooked the driveway and the road and peered intently out. There was little to no movement and while the shadows were darker and denser, the sun had only just set.

Just as she was turning away from the window, bright lights flashed on in the driveway. Obviously, the Tanner's had motion-activated lights installed. Bella turned to look out and almost couldn't comprehend what she was seeing.

Bree was suspended spread eagle, by her arms and legs between the trees that lined the road leading to the driveway.

Bella could feel the tears rolling down her face as she tried to gather her wits. Bree, her poor sweet friend, was at least 30 feet in the air and the trees were at a minimum 15 feet apart. Her head was dropped to her chest and she had blood streaked across her clothes. There was a pool under her body and belle couldn't tell whether she was breathing or not.

The lights went out.

Bella wanted to run outside and find a way to get Bree down, but she didn't dare go outside. Just when she realized she hadn't noticed if the car was there, the lights flashed on again.

A tall figure in a dark sweatshirt with the hood pulled up was standing under Bree's body. Bella could see a sliver of pale skin from under the hood and saw clenched fists in gloves at the figure's sides.

Bella was grateful that she had locked every door and window she had encountered on her search, so while she was terrified, she unlocked the sliding door and opened it up.

"Who the hell are you?!" She screamed into the night. The lights flashed off again and Bella reached out and found the nearest thing, a small potted plant, and threw it over the rail of the porch to set off the sensors again.

The figure had moved a few feet closer.

"What do you want? Are you here to try and kill me?" Bella was practically taunting this person. "Guess what? Been there, done that!"

She watched as the figure reached behind it and pulled out a large knife.

"You don't understand." He was speaking … the figure was male. The voice was shaking like he had been crying. "The last time someone tried to kill you, she was there."

She? Who was this guy talking about? There was no one with Bella when Felix tried to murder her except …

Alice

"What does Alice Cullen have to do with anything?" Bella asked as the lights went out again.

This time the man set off the lights again as he had moved a few more feet closer.

"Her body was never found. I … need to know where she is … where her body is." He moved closer again and Bella yelled out.

"Stop! Why does it matter to you?"

"I tried to get her through her father, through her mother, but she never came. So, I knew it had to just be you." He continued to take slow steps towards the house and Bella began to panic.

"What do you mean you went through her parents? Did you … oh god." Bella was crying again, but she was trying to keep her focus on the man.

This was the man that killed Carlisle and Winnie Cullen. Is this why she hadn't heard from Edward?

"Where's Edward?" Bella asked as she tried to choke back her tears.

"Where's Edward?" he mocked in a high pitched voice. "Don't you recognize me, Bella?"

The figure slid the hood off his head and a shock of bronze hair stuck up in the slight breeze.

"NO!" Bella screamed and fell to her knees.

This man, a man that had comforted her and believed her. A man that she had fallen in love with and waited for … had killed his parents and Bella's friend all in the hopes of finding his sister's spirit.

"Edward, you're sick. Something is wrong … Alice isn't here. If she were going to be anywhere, it would be at the Platt Mansion." Bella began as she stood up.

Something was broken in Edward; the loss of his beloved sister was too much to take after all this time. She could get him some help, she just had to convince him to drop the knife and let her help him.

"The mansion isn't there anymore, Bella!" Edward screamed as he wiped at his face with his free hand. "She isn't there, so she must be with you."

"If you try to hurt me, I'll fight back," Bella said as she took a step backward towards the sliding door.

"I hope you do," Edward said with a wicked smile and disappeared under the porch.

Bella ran into the house and closed the door and locked it. And then remembered that she hadn't bothered to lock the downstairs door. She had stupidly assumed that Bree would have locked it behind her.

Of course, even if she did it probably didn't matter now. Bree was dead, Edward had already seen to her. He most likely had her keys, which meant he had access to her car.

Bella heard the pounding on the downstairs door. She pulled out her phone and attempted to dial 911. She had no service but dialed anyway hoping that somehow the call would go through. When she heard nothing, she left pocketed her phone and tried the cordless on the kitchen counter.

There was no dial tone and as she threw the phone down onto the counter, the interior lights went out. Edward had found the breaker box.

All she had to do at this point was get past him, get to town and get help. That's all. It could be very simple; she could lure him to the back of the house and somehow incapacitate him. Then book it to town.

"Ok Bella, you can do this. Just figure out how to calm him down, even a little." She was talking to herself as she moved to the back of the house. The motion lights were on as if Edward were following her path.

She moved to the rear sliding glass door when she heard footsteps coming from around the corner of the porch. She quickly moved out of sight from the window. Bella saw his shadow loom over the window and she caught her breath. He slammed his fists on the window and she swore she could hear the glass crack under the pressure.

"Don't you want to help me, Bella?" Edward yelled into the night and Bella bit back a sob. "I just want my sister back!"

His steps moved away and Bella reached into her pocket to check for cell service again. With no reception her call still hadn't gone through, so she replaced her phone and moved towards the kitchen. She could hear Edward pacing around the porch.

"Can't you understand? She's here with you, I know she is! Ask her where she's buried. I need to know!" Edward roared from outside and Bella knew that she had no choice; she was going to have to make a run for it.

Edward was broken and there was nothing Bella would be able to do to get him to calm down, even slightly; she couldn't help him, but she could help herself.

"You aren't a quitter, Bella Swan."

Bella took a deep breath and counted to ten. She'd been incredibly lucky once; Alice had helped her, of course, but she'd been lucky. She was determined to live then and even more so now.

The keening sobs coming from the porch were terrifying, but Bella tried to ignore the sound; it was just noise … and the noise could simply be used as a means to pinpoint where he was.

Bella went back into the office off the kitchen and turned on the small desk light. She began searching for loose ammo, anything that wasn't locked up. When her search turned up nothing, she turned slowly around in the room looking for anything that could be used to defend herself.

A loud crack made her scream and when she turned to the window, Edward was there trying to break the window with a porch chair. Bella began to back away when the glass shattered and the chair came flying at her.

All reason flew from her mind as she ran from the room. She could hear Edward running and panting behind her when she reached the stairs. She climbed up having no idea where she was going or what she would do, other than to get away from him when a hand grabbed her ankle and pulled.

Her scream was strangled and she clawed for the railing and tried to pull herself away from his grip. She was thrashing and the muscles in her arms were straining as she tried to maneuver away.

"I can't let you go. Different time, different place. It's now, Bella." Edward said with a hollow-sounding voice.

He gave an incredibly hard yank, harder than Bella would have thought possible and she lost her grip on the railing. Her head banged against several of the steps as he dragged her down and onto the hardwood floor.

Bella's tears were free-flowing and she just wanted her daddy.

"Edward, please." Bella begged, "Alice isn't here … she isn't with me anymore. Don't do -" her words were cut short when Edward's hands wrapped around her throat and began to squeeze.

She knew not to struggle, she'd run out of the air faster. She slowly tried to reposition herself to try and knee him in the groin or get her thumbs into his eyeballs, but Edward being so tall and lanky made it almost impossible for her to reach anything with her small stature.

Bella felt herself drift; she knew this was the moment. What would happen after this? She never questioned life after death, but more, what would Edward do after she was dead?

Then there was blackness.

Bella came to and found herself laying down and shivering in the dark. It smelled damp and a lot like the tire swing she had in the backyard of her house when she was growing up. She tried to sit up and realized that her hands and feet were bound together. She struggled for a few moments before resting again.

Her throat hurt and she was freezing; she felt weak and Bella suddenly thought that there was a huge possibility that she might be or already lost a fair amount of blood. Was that why she was so cold? It was so dark she could barely see anything around her until she finally looked directly up.

Stars … a sky full of stars.

That's when Bella knew; the dark and damp, the cold and the familiar backyard smell.

She was in the ground.

The tears came forcefully again.

"You know, I really thought that she would come for you," Edward said suddenly from somewhere above her.

"Obviously, I can't let you go now." He moved into her line of sight.

He was standing about ten feet above her and jammed a shovel into a mound of dirt next to him. Some of the dirt loosened and Bella shrieked and began to fight against her bindings again. His clothes were grungy and his face was streaked with dirt like he had been sweating and crying.

"Edward, please, no!"

"Did you know that your friend's thumbprint works on that safe? The one in the room with all the guns?" He asks with a wry grin as he holds up a disembodied hand in his left hand.

Bella's eyes widen in horror as he drops the hand and raises his right hand that's holding one of the handguns from the office in the cabin.

A shot echoes in the woods and a body goes limp.

A grave is filled.

A mind sinks further into a mental break.

And a tiny pumpkin sits upon a pile of freshly turned earth.


End file.
